Sen. Bill Heffernan Sneaks 'Pipe Bomb' Into Australian Parliament To Make A Point About Security

Bill Heffernan, a senator for New South Wales, said the items were fakes, but he was making a point about newly relaxed security in Parliament. Under the new system, members of Parliament, senators, staff, family members and public servants can reportedly enter without passing through metal detectors or X-ray machines.

"Up until this point, most people working in this building know that it is safe but I don't think it any longer and to demonstrate that this morning what could be ... I brought this through security, a pipe bomb," Heffernan said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

“Before Senator Heffernan did produce that piece of pipe, which I think he referred to as a pipe bomb, it was just a piece of pipe, and he did show me that piece of pipe before I walked in this morning and said he was going to use it in some sort of demonstration," Negus was quoted as saying by The Australian. "But I was satisfied it was inert, it was just a piece of metal pipe and that’s all it was."

The lighter security is expected to help save about $370,000 in screening costs per year.